Practical Philosophy, Monday

[endsthegame]

The weather had improved, at least in terms of temperature, and the clouds overhead didn't look like they were going to burst. So Ender had directed his class to the lawn again, where he sat in the grass with the bag of sandwiches by his side.

"So," he said, "How do you feel about the future now?"

That was all.

Comments

Talk.

[endsthegame]

So how do you feel about the future now?

Re: Talk.

[genesishero]

"I don't remember much," Evan offered, his cheeks flushed with pink as he thought back on how he'd woken up that morning, "it's already getting kind of hazy. But I do remember that I seemed pretty okay with who I am. I... I mean... it was like I knew. Whatever else twenty years does for me, at least I managed to pull together an identity of my own in that time."

Re: Talk.

[endsthegame]

Ender smiled. "That's one of the advantages of old age," he said, "The upside to becoming slow and unchanging is that we tend to build up a sense of identity for ourselves that's unchangeable."

Re: Talk.

[pulseof_life]

"I found it interesting that..." Yeul trailed off and shrugged slightly. "I had not expected the island to still feature in my life in any way. That it did was curious."

Being that she'd been two lifetimes down the line.

Re: Talk.

[endsthegame]

"In my experience, the island has a habit of sticking to you like glue even when you don't want it to," Ender mused. "It's not as curious as you might think."

Re: Talk.

[pulseof_life]

"Perhaps not to you," Yeul said agreeably. "I can only speak of my own experience."

Re: Talk.

[endsthegame]

"Why do you find it curious?" Ender asked.

Re: Talk.

[pulseof_life]

Yeul tilted her head, considering the question.

"The island's power had a longer reach than what I expected," she said.

Re: Talk.

[makemyownway.livejournal.com]

Cade shrugged. "It was kind of fuzzy."

Re: Talk.

[endsthegame]

"No startling revelations about the future?" Ender asked wryly.

Re: Talk.

[makemyownway.livejournal.com]

"I think I had more tattoos," Cade offered.

Re: Talk.

[endsthegame]

"Something to aspire to," Ender said.

Re: Talk.

[justbeingbay]

"I kind of kicked ass," Bay volunteered. "I mean, like everybody else said, I don't remember every little detail, but I worked in art and liked it, and I was single but not sobbing or desperate about it. It seemed like Old Bay liked her life. No crab seasoning pun intended."

And that was mostly true. She was a little bothered she wasn't a famous artist, but mentioning that would feel like whining.

Re: Talk.

[endsthegame]

Ender's mouth quirked. "Can you see yourself being that person?" he asked.

Re: Talk.

[justbeingbay]

"Totally," Bay said, without hesitating. "It's not the life I'd buy if there was a Life-Mart where you could go and just special-order whatever you wanted, but everything about it made sense. Did you have the same kind of experience?"

Re: Talk.

[endsthegame]

"I think the life I got was the best I could have expected," Ender said, though he was wary of getting into it too much. "What would you've changed, if you could?"

Re: Talk.

[nothornlessrose.livejournal.com]

"I... I was a Territory Queen," Cassidy said with confusion coloring her tone as she looked at Ender. "I'm fuzzy on the details surrounding it, but it seemed like it was a new thing for me." She shook her head. "That's not possible."

Re: Talk.

[endsthegame]

"How so?" Ender asked, tilting his head.

Re: Talk.

[nothornlessrose.livejournal.com]

"Because, I don't wear a dark enough Jewel to rule a Territory," she stammered. "I wasn't born a Territory Queen. I was born a to be a Queen to help the other Queens in Dharo by ruling a village or a Province. Sabrina is the future Queen of Dharo a-and the Territory the future me rules... it doesn't even exist."

Yes, but Cassidy, the future you also had people from Fandom that would help you and believe in you.

Re: Talk.

[endsthegame]

"Does a Queen need great Jewel strength to rule a Territory?" Ender asked, looking her in the eye. "Or strength of character?"

Re: Talk.

[3girls-1core.livejournal.com]

"I was really unhappy," Sholeh said quietly. Yes, the details were turning fuzzy for her, too, but not fast enough. "W--I ended up at Fandom because I didn't have anywhere else to go. I couldn't go home again, I got kicked out of university, and I found out some really terrible things about my people."

What terrible things, she couldn't remember, but that feeling of sick betrayal still lingered.

Re: Talk.

[endsthegame]

"I'm sorry," Ender said quietly. "That must be incredibly distressing."

Re: Talk.

[3girls-1core.livejournal.com]

It was. To the point where Sholeh preferred to think about the events of this morning to the events of the weekend. One was kind of traumatizing. The other was heartbreaking.

She nodded mutely, trying to come up with words. "We did the best we could, but it wasn't enough. We did what we were supposed to, what we'd been told to do. And even though we ended up saving our home, it wasn't enough to be forgiven."

Re: Talk.

[endsthegame]

"Do you think that's unfair?"

With Sholeh, it was a toss-up whether she'd answer honestly or answer like she thought she was expected to.

Re: Talk.

[reven8e.livejournal.com]

"...huh? I think I missed something over the weekend."

Watch Emily. Watch Emily grin.